# Principal Robotics Software Engineer at Clera

Principal Robotics Software Engineer at Clera in San Francisco. On-site, full-time, paying $235k–$305k. Posted October 29, 2026.

- Company: Clera
- Location: San Francisco
- Workplace: On-site
- Job type: Full-time
- Pay: $235k–$305k
- Posted: 2026-10-29
- Apply: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/clera/1a34fce2-9655-452c-b4cd-489cf0ee9648/application
- Source: https://jobmagic.ai/jobs/principal-robotics-software-engineer-clera-tpeps0

## Requirements

- 10 or more years of hands-on robotics software engineering experience and a record of shipping systems.
- Recent, hands-on production C++ experience on physical robotic systems.
- Experience taking robotics software from prototype to repeatable use in field, operator, fleet, or customer settings.
- System-level experience with timing, threading, latency, and reliability, as well as release processes, deployment, CI/CD, quality assurance, or hardware-in-the-loop testing.
- Broad robotics experience across sensors, perception, tracking, control, middleware, and deployment; familiarity with sensor timestamps, time synchronization, or coordinate transforms is valuable.
- Experience mentoring or growing a team while remaining an individual contributor.
- ROS or ROS2 and experience with cameras, IMUs, encoders, or gimbal systems are useful. Defense, aerospace, safety-critical software, systems languages beyond C++, sensor fusion, or an active security clearance are also valuable.
- Must meet applicable U.S. person requirements for export-controlled work.

## Description

### About the Role

Join the robotics team at a defense technology company developing autonomous systems to detect and counter unmanned aerial threats. This is a senior, hands-on individual contributor role focused on production robotics software running on real hardware.

### What You'll Do

- Write and own critical production C++ across the robotics stack.

- Define and maintain system-wide timing and safety contracts from perception through control.

- Take software from prototype to dependable field releases, including packaging, deployment, CI/CD, quality assurance, and hardware-in-the-loop testing.

- Mentor and grow the robotics team while continuing to contribute code directly.

- Debug hardware and field issues, including during regular range tests.

### What We're Looking For

- 10 or more years of hands-on robotics software engineering experience and a record of shipping systems.

- Recent, hands-on production C++ experience on physical robotic systems.

- Experience taking robotics software from prototype to repeatable use in field, operator, fleet, or customer settings.

- System-level experience with timing, threading, latency, and reliability, as well as release processes, deployment, CI/CD, quality assurance, or hardware-in-the-loop testing.

- Broad robotics experience across sensors, perception, tracking, control, middleware, and deployment; familiarity with sensor timestamps, time synchronization, or coordinate transforms is valuable.

- Experience mentoring or growing a team while remaining an individual contributor.

- ROS or ROS2 and experience with cameras, IMUs, encoders, or gimbal systems are useful. Defense, aerospace, safety-critical software, systems languages beyond C++, sensor fusion, or an active security clearance are also valuable.

- Must meet applicable U.S. person requirements for export-controlled work.

### Compensation & Benefits

Base salary: $235,000 to $305,000 annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.

### Location

On-site five days per week in San Francisco, California, United States, with range days included.